Hatches for railway covered hopper cars



Sept. 17, 1968 '0, |NGRAM HATCHES FOR RAILWAY COVERED HOPPER CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 12, 1966 ORVILLE INGRAM FlG. l-.

Sept. 17, 1968 o. INGRAM HATCHES FOR RAILWAY COVERED HOPPER CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1966 ORVILLE INGRAM United States Patent "ice 3,401,647 HATCHES FOR RAILWAY COVERED HOPPER CARS Orville Ingram, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Midland-Ross Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed Dec. 12, 1966, Ser. No. 601,237 4 Claims. (Cl. 105-377) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Self-adjusting seal for a hatch assembly, adapted to seal a lid which is movable from open position to closed position by gravity, and is adjustable by a portion of the lid contacting an inflatable tube system mounted on the hatch frame of the hatch assembly.

Background of the invention A hatch assembly of a railway covered hopper car is adapted to close and reinforce an opening, usually in the roof of the car. Conventional hatch assemblies have a provision for a hinge and hinge butt to pivotally mount the hatch lid which is movable from open position to closed or horizontal, position by gravity.

The hatch lid is loosely fitted to the hatch frame which presents an obstacle to a sealing fit between the lid and hatch frame. Some form of a gasket is required and material such as sponge-like strips have been placed between closely associated parts. While this arrangement is satisfactory under some circumstances, lading requiring absolute freedom from foreign matter demands an air and water-tight contact which will not only adjust to varying conditions of components of the hatch assembly but it also must be capable of absorbing vibratory stresses and shock loads occurring in the lid when the railway car is in motion.

Summary of invention This selfladjusting seal for a hatch assembly depends on inflated flexible tubing mounted on the hatch frame and positioned so as to form a seat for the lid cover when the lid is in closed position.

The preferred seal has substantially a flat back connecting inflated tubing. Within this flat back are transfer ports to accommodate during sealing operation, compressed air or other compressible fluid material, passing from one tube to the other in order that the pressure may adjust and equalize within the tubing system.

The construction and positioning of tube parts of the seal permits the proper positioning of the transfer ports to cause a time delay in pressure equalization between each tube until the lid is approximately in closed position.

The relative position of one compressed tube of the tube system with respect to the lid, when in closed position, affords a resilient seat for the lid. This seat will then cushion and absorb destructive vibratory motion. At the same time the other compressed tube assists in maintaining a proper and complete seal.

Therefore, this invention relates to hatch frame arrangements for freight vehicles and more particularly has for its primary object the provision of an improved selfsealing hatch assembly which, when closed, will effectively adjust the seal to the peripheral edges of a hatch against rain or dust, or in the inverse the escape of finely divided bulk lading.

Another object of the invention is to provide a hatch assembly, which is both self-sealing and forms a seat for the hatch lid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a hatch assembly having an adjustable seal with a provision for a 3,401,647 Patented Sept. 17, 1968 time delay in the movement of air or other fluid means between one tube of a tube assembly, and another tube.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter in the detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the claims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the hatch assembly of the present invention mounted on the roof of a railway hopper car. A portion is removed as at 22 to show the inflatable tubing system affixed to the flange of the hatch frame;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the hatch assembly showing a portion removed as at 2-2 in FIGURE 1, showing the inflatable tubing system affixed to the flange of the hatch frame.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged half-section of the inflatable tubing system showing the connecting passageway, the connecting backing and a self-sealing initially inflating valve;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmental section of the hatch frame and lid showing the tubing system in sealing relation when the lid is closed;

FIGURE 5 shows a fragmental section of the hatch assembly and seal when the lid is in open position;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental section taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 3 showing the passageways in the connecting backing.

This improved self-sealing hatch frame and hatch lid assembly of the present invention is designed for a downwardly closing hatch lid, providing a medium to accept and form a closure for granular lading in a railway covered hopper car. A conventional assembly of a hatch assembly is shown in the drawings, having an opening surrounded by a reinforcing frame. The assembly preferably is also conventional in having an oblique or inclined downwardly and outwardly disposed flange of the hatch frame. In juxtaposition is :a downwardly projecting flange on the lid which overlaps, surrounds and compresses an inflatable sealing means when the cover lid is in its closed position.

Typical hatch assemblies of covered railway hopper cars have a loosely fitting pressed metal cover lid with respect to the hatch frame. This apparent ill-fitting member is directly concerned with its maintenance and productiveness as well as the rugged use. It is acknowledged that properly machined parts could affect a proper seal, however, the initial cost, as Well as exposure in use, makes such an assembly impractical. Despite the above stated looseness of fit and consequent lack of metal to metal contact between the lid flange and hatch frame flange, this improved assembly is fully effective in sealing against admission of foreign matter passing into the lading or escape of finely divided lading.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings in which like reference characters designate like parts, 10 indicates the sheet metal portion of the roof of a covered hopper car through which is provided opening 11. Surrounding and reinforcing the peripheral edge of said opening 11 is a hatch reinforcing frame member 12. Enclosing the opening in the hatch assembly is a lid 13 conveniently pivoted by a hinge pin 14 which passes through a hinge butt 15 and hinge 16. The lid locking device (not shown) may be one of the many designs now in general use. Hinge butt 15 is conveniently attached to sheet metal roof 10 by rivets 17. The lid 13 is conveniently attached to hinges 16 by rivets 18. Hatch frame 12 is provided with marginal edge 19 disposed in acute angular relation to hatch frame 12. Lid 13 is provided with a downturned marginal edge 20.

Aflixed by any suitable adhesive or mechanical attachment to marginal edge 19 is an inflatable tubing system generally shown as 21. This inflatable tubing system consists of a suitable rubber or rubber-like elastomer tube hereinafter termed rubber tube 22. Disposed above rubber tube 22 is rubber tube 23 which is connected by passageways 24. The connecting passageways 24 are spaced apart within a backing plane 25. Aflixed to and forming a part of tubing system 21 is a self-sealing valve 26 for the initial filling of tube system 21 with air or other fluid element.

It is apparent that a lid 13 hinged as shown in the drawings necessitates that the hinged edge of the lid generally shown at 27 will contact the inflatable tubing system 21 prior to contact of the free or opposite edge generally shown as 28 during closing operation and cause undesirable bulging of the contacted tube. To avoid this condition ports or passageways 24 are provided between each rubber tube to permit the air to move system-wise until the free edge of the lid 28 is in closed position.

Rubber tube 23 of rubber tube assembly 21 is preferrentially disposed in part above the highest portion of hatch frame 12 in order to avoid part to part contact of hatch frame 12 and lid 13. This is done especially to permit employment of special substance such as plastic reinforced by glass fibers as a material for lids. It is Well established that under service conditions a lid made of this material will fail when it is rigidly tied down. A plastic lid reinforced by glass fibers will fail due to vibratory stresses set up when the railway car is in motion. These vibratory stresses occur at the weakest point of a lid. This invention permits absorption of these critical stresses within the tube assembly 21.

Having described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In a hatch assembly for a covered hopper car including a hatch frame member bounding a hatch opening and a hatch lid member in closed position closing the opening and having a peripheral portion overlapping a peripheral portion of the frame member, self-adjusting gasket means for cushioning and sealing between said members, comprising a plurality of inflated fluid-communicating laterally spaced compressible tubes mounted in laterally spaced relation on the peripheral portion of one of said members, said tubes in the closed position of said hatch lid member spacing said members and engaging at spaced positions the peripheral portion of the other member.

2. A self-adjusting gasket means in a hatch assembly according to claim 1, wherein said laterally spaced compressible tubes mounted in laterally spaced relation to a connecting means, said connecting means having passageways for the exchange of fluid means within said laterally spaced compressible tubing.

3. A self-adjusting gasket means in a hatch assembly according to claim 2, wherein the connecting passageways are positioned forwardly of the hinged area of the hatch lid, forming a timing means, said timing means positioned to create a delay in the displacement of said fluid means to one of said laterally spaced compressible tubes.

4. A self-adjusting gasket means in a hatch assembly according to claim 1, wherein a portion of one of said laterally spaced and laterally mounted tubes is disposed above said peripheral portion of said hatch frame forming an adjustable seat for said hatch lid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,750 5/1951 Liskey 49477 3,175,519 3/1965 Warheit 49498 3,262,707 7/1966 Williams 277-343 3,266,440 8/1966 Price et al -377 ARTHUR L. LA POI-NT, Primary Examiner. R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

